Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is another case of the Greens political party misrepresenting and falsifying the Labor government's environmental action response. I'd like to thank my incredible colleague, Senator Grogan, for highlighting so many of the farcical things that they are putting out there. They never let the truth get in the way of a good clip for social media. So let me start by getting the facts on the record, and we'll keep reiterating these facts as long as it takes. There are no environmental standards that will be watered down, there will be no fast track for offshore projects and no consultation requirements will be weakened. Feel free to clip that, Senator McKim.

Minister King is undertaking a process to review Australia's offshore environmental management framework to ensure it is fit for process. A holistic review was not undertaken for an entire decade when those opposite were in government. So it is incumbent on our government to review the rules and regulations governing the resources sector to ensure those rules and regulations remain fit for purpose.

As Senator Grogan outlined, this review is not a secret. It was announced by our government in the 2023 budget. An essential part of this review is to clarify consultation provisions that apply to offshore oil and gas projects. The government takes that responsibility very seriously and is working to strengthen the occupational health and safety outcomes for the offshore resources industry through appropriate improvements.

The regulation changes proposed by the government are simple. They are in response to safety reviews. As Minister King has said, there is no planned change to rigorous environmental assessments. Time and time again we have heard from the people on the ground that the current system of consultation for offshore resource projects is not working effectively. This government refuses to undermine the essential consultation process; therefore it is within our responsibility to appropriately address those concerns regarding the ineffective processes that are currently in place.

What we have here is the Greens, yet again, standing in the way of better outcomes for First Nations people, local councils, environmental groups, local industry and our resources sectors. Australians have seen how politically performative fights from the other side have stopped action on climate change for almost a decade. No-one wants to see that again. Just last week, in a Senate committee hearing on this bill, it was stated that the current consultation process is not only ineffective but also culturally inappropriate.

Please allow me to jog your memory on a wasted decade of environmental neglect and instability in this country by none other than the Liberals, the Nationals and the contributions, or lack thereof, from the Greens. This government is responding to a decade of detrimental inaction, placing us back on the trajectory where the environment is at the forefront of our agenda through fulfilling the commitments we've made. We all know that transformation cannot happen overnight, but we're working overtime to get there for the betterment of this country.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to fulfilling its obligation. We know that better consultation leads to greater confidence and better outcomes. The government knows the importance of working together to achieve collaborative solutions for all Australians. So, together with the crossbench and stakeholders, we need to achieve sensible amendments to give everyone further confidence about the intent of the changes in this bill. The government has made its position very clear: we need a better system of offshore consultation that works for everybody.

To sum it up, the proposed amendments are there to strengthen and represent the government's ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for Australia's offshore resources sector. I would like to invite the Greens— (Time expired)